Champion, Chapter 16: Mission Complete

SunnildThe RealmsThirdday, 1st week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1Mid-AfternoonThe Ayrie, Mistvale Highlands

Sunnild huddled in the middle of her cushioned nest, worrying. Within an hour of returning to the Ayrie, she was confined to quarters by her commanding officer. Wingleader Frythe hadn't been hostile about it or anything, but Sunnild had difficulty not taking it as a bad sign. She drew her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. What could she do? Would she really have to run away like she told Lord Aidan she would?

She didn't even know how long she'd been here. Her assigned room was deep inside the mountainous Ayrie; only the officers and the most prestigious Sisters had rooms with windows. Sunnild thought that it had only been a couple hours yet, but she wasn't sure. "Why's this happening?" she asked aloud. "Was I just lyin' ta myself this whole time? Oh, Mum, I wish you were still here..." Sunnild hugged herself harder as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

A knock at the door interrupted her. "Wingsister Sunnild, you are to report to Flight Major Osgyth for debriefing immediately."

Sunnild sucked in a shaky breath. At least I'll get ta tell my side now, she thought as she rose to her feet. She never bothered to remove her uniform armor after being placed under house arrest, so it didn't take long to make herself presentable. Sunnild spared herself one last moment to calm herself before opening her door and stepping out into the corridor.

Ten minutes later, Sunnild waited while Flight Major Osgyth read Aidan's letter for the third time. She was nervous enough as it was without her boss's boss drawing things out. I hope it works, she thought to herself. I haven't been that happy since—

"Wingsister Sunnild." Sunnild jumped and blushed at having been caught not paying attention. Was she waitin' fer me to drift off? "Do you know the contents of this letter?"

"Lord Aidan told me that he requested to have me assigned to Ceallach Macht, Major. I did not read the letter, so if there is anything else in it, I have no knowledge of it." Sunnild had to slow down and concentrate on suppressing her accent; officers tended to get grumpy about it, and she needed whatever goodwill she could muster.

"Hmm." Osgyth eyed Sunnild skeptically, then asked, "And do you know why he requested you specifically?"

"Ah," Sunnild blushed, "Yes, Flight Major. Lord Aidan invited me to dinner with him and his lady. One thing led to another, and I ended up sharing their bed for the night. And Lady Brighid shared mine the next."

One of Osgyth's raven-black eyebrows arched upward. "Your bed? How is that you had a bed separate from the quarters that the rest of your wing were given?"

"If I may, it would be simpler if I told the story from the beginning?"

The officer leaned back in her chair and gestured for Sunnild to continue.

"I was a last-minute addition to this mission due to Somerd's injury, so I did not receive the full briefing..."

"...And then we returned to the Ayrie." Sunnild finished.

Osgyth leaned forward again. "You said that you were speaking to Wingsister Ecgwena before Lord Aidan appeared. What was the discussion about?"

It was about her being a raging bitch. "She was upset about being asked to wait for Lord Aidan," Sunnild said instead. "I attempted to convince Wingsister Ecgwena that entering the Lord's compound without permission would not benefit our mission. She disagreed with my assessment, but Lord Aidan arrived before the situation could escalate."

"I see. And what happened then?"

Sunnild blushed a little and looked down at her feet. "I recognized Lord Aidan; he is the human I saw enter Ceallach Macht through its wards a few weeks ago. I was so surprised to see him alive that I spoke out of turn."

"So the sequence of events was: a discussion between you and Ecgwena, then Lord Aidan arrived, then you recognized him and said something about it?"

There was an edge to Osgyth's question that made Sunnild lock up for a moment. What did Estrith put in her report? I don't wanna sound like a whiny fledgling. I know Ecgwena made her out to be an angel and me a coward, traitor, and liar; the question is whether Estrith gave an honest accounting or not. Then she mentally squared her shoulders. Fuck it. I'll tell the truth, and if they don't believe me, I'll just do what I told Aidan I would. I finally found somewhere I can be happy; I'm not gonna let propriety keep me from it.

Sunnild lifted her eyes back to Osgyth's. "When Lord Aidan's entourage approached us, I happened to be standing between them and Wingsister Ecgwena with my back to them. She naturally spotted them first and pushed past me, knocking me to the ground in the process. She introduced herself to Miss Ailis, believing her to be the one in control of the city, but when Lord Aidan introduced himself, her reaction was ... intemperate."

Osgyth's expression remained impassive. "Explain."

"It is less what she said than how she said it. We were all surprised to see a human there, let alone as the Lord of the city, but Wingsister Ecgwena's tone of voice..." Sunnild paused, considering her next words.

"Flight Major Osgyth, I know Ecgwena's history with humans. I understand her feelings about them and do not find them unreasonable. No one expected that to be an impediment to the mission. I do not blame her for her outburst. That being said, her tone of voice made it clear that she was revulsed by Lord Aidan."

"I see." Again, Major Osgyth's voice hid her thoughts. "And what happened next?"

Sunnild shrugged. "That was when I got back to my feet and realized that I recognized Lord Aidan. I blurted it out without thinking. Ecgwena started to reprimand me, as she should have, but Lord Aidan cut her off. He saw a chance to capitalize on our disunity and took advantage of it. He undermined Ecgwena's leadership and invited me to join him for a tour and dinner, ostensibly because I recognized him.

"Later," she continued, "I learned that he singled me out for two reasons. First, he wanted to punish Ecgwena for what he perceived as bullying me. Second, Lady Brighid asked him to bring back anyone he found, ah, interesting." Sunnild blushed at that. "I think he only meant to humor her at first."

The corners of Major Osgyth's mouth twitched upward. "And why did you let him separate you from your Wingsisters?"

Sunnild's blush intensified. "Two reasons, Major Osgyth. Lord Aidan swore an oath giving us protection as his guests, so I knew he would not kidnap and torture me." Her eyes started to slide down again, but Sunnild willed herself to look the officer in the eyes. "And I saw a chance for myself and the Sisterhood. At the time, I did not know that he already had a mate, and he invited me to attend him at a private dinner. I hoped he would take me as a lover, and therefore perhaps give me more information than he would otherwise."

The Major's lips were definitely upturned in a tiny smile now. "And did he?"

It took all of Sunnild's Willpower to keep her eyes locked on Osgyth's. "Yes, Ma'am. Although it was Lady Brighid who pushed things along, Lord Aidan was a participant as well."

"And your other hope? Did you find out any secrets while sharing his bed?"

Sunnild swallowed. "Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?"

Flight Major Osgyth blinked. After a short pause, she said, "Permission granted."

Sunnild knew she was on dangerous ground here, so she spoke slowly and with care. "Lord Aidan did let slip something that would be of strategic interest to the Sisterhood, but he did it in a moment of emotional vulnerability. It would be an abuse of trust for me to reveal it to you or anyone else. It was not something he told me as a brag or in casual conversation; it came out when he was beating himself up for—in his mind—taking advantage of me."

"Oh?" Osgyth leaned forward onto her elbows. "We will come back to the matter of the secret. Tell me more about the circumstances."

"Yes, Ma'am." Sunnild relaxed a little; she half-expected the Major to demand the full information. Being allowed to tell the whole story was a good sign. "This was after I spent the night with him. I woke up before him or Lady Brighid, and when I felt him tense up, I asked if he was mad at me. I thought he was upset that I was still there, or maybe I did not meet his expectations.

"He said that no, I should be mad at him. I told him what I thought of that, and Lady Brighid noted that he did not feel like he deserved to have two women in his bed. Then she asked Lord Aidan whether he even thought he deserved her, and he broke down."

Sunnild felt the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as she remembered what Lord Aidan said. "He is a good man. He blamed himself for everything that went wrong before I met him. We know about the battle outside Ceallach Macht, but Lord Aidan led a team into the city itself to take out the Tannath Taig. I am sure the others mentioned his claim to have killed a Wildlord," Osgyth nodded at that, "but none of them could know what happened. From what he said, that fight did not go well. The entire party was captured and tortured, even raped by the Wildlord. Lord Aidan blamed himself for that and a host of other things.

"That was not the end of it, either. From what he said, Lord Aidan was a slave once and does not believe he has what it takes to rule Ceallach Macht. He called himself an imposter and said that when he should have been making a treaty to help protect his people, he lured me into his bed for a night of fun instead."

Sunnild willed Osgyth to believe what she was about to say. "Flight Major Osgyth, Lord Aidan is a good man. I acknowledge that I have not had much time with him, but in that time, he never once blamed someone else for something he did wrong. He gave his full attention and consideration to everyone who addressed him. He did not mock or bully anyone and only banished Wingsister Ecgwena when she pushed him—and only threatened her when she lingered instead of withdrawing."

Sunnild took in a breath, then pushed on. "I know he is a human—and a Helltouched human at that. Lord Aidan may be playing me like a fiddle; perhaps I am, in fact, only an innocent, vulnerable girl. But I do not think so; if nothing else, the information he let slip is not the kind that someone like that would use as a ploy. It just does not seem compatible with any goal he might have in deceiving me. Also, both Lord Aidan and Lady Brighid would need to be skilled actors, which does not match the Starchasers' profile."

Osgyth waited for Sunnild to continue, but when the silence stretched out, she said, "Alright then, back to that secret. You realize that refusing to disclose information of strategic importance gathered during a mission can be considered treason?"

Sunnild stiffened and nodded, not trusting her voice.

Osgyth sighed and sat back in her chair. She rubbed her temples, then picked up Lord Aidan's letter and read it a fourth time, then a fifth. When she finished, she folded it up and placed it back on her desk. "I knew your mother when she was still with us," the officer began. "We were not friends, exactly, but I respected her. I know she held herself to the same high standards she preached, and I know she taught you to do the same. So, when you tell me that this Lord Aidan is a good man, I am inclined to give your words some weight.

"That being said," she emphasized, "your refusal to turn over valuable information does not leave me with many choices. I can either arrest you for treason..." Osgyth's eyes bored into Sunnild, darting back and forth as if seeking something.

With a sigh, she continued, "... or I can sweep it under the rug. At the heart of my decision is who Lord Aidan really is. I have now heard three different accounts of the same man. In one, he is a monster and a tyrant. In another, he is a sharp-witted and cunning ruler. And, then, in your account, he is a tortured saint." Osgyth snorted. "The truth, I have found, is almost always somewhere in the middle."

"If he is a typical human, as Wingsister Ecgwena describes, then you are aiding and abetting an enemy of the Sisterhood. If he is a cold, calculating sovereign, then you have been used to sow chaos in our ranks. Then, too, I must consider his likely responses; the Sisterhood cannot afford a war with the Starchasers right now."

The older harpy remained silent for an extended period. Her eyes drifted away from Sunnild, roaming across her desk. Sunnild remained standing, not daring to interrupt the Major's ruminations.

After several minutes of silence, Major Osgyth turned her attention back to Sunnild. "Without betraying your Lord's confidence, what can you tell me about the secret you are keeping? Is it something that threatens the Sisterhood or something that would invalidate any treaties we signed with him?"

"No!" Sunnild exclaimed. "No, if it was something like that, I would tell you! I swear!" Divided loyalties warred within her; on the one hand, she would not betray Aidan's confidence. On the other, she still considered herself an Ash Shroud Sister. "I can say that his position is a little weaker than it seems; you could push harder on the treaties. He needs our help as much as we need his."

"And if he is sincere with his offer," Osgyth muttered, "then we do need him. Very well, Wingsister Sunnild. I will take everything you have told me under advisement. You are dismissed."

Sunnild hesitated. "Ma'am? I'm free to go?"

Major Osgyth scowled. "Yes, Wingsister. For better or worse, you have convinced me. I will keep your secret. You had best hope that your assessment of Lord Aidan is correct, or we will all be flying in storm winds. I cannot promise that you will be assigned to this 'cultural liaison' post, as the Lord requested, but I will recommend it to my superiors. Now get out before I change my mind."

Sunnild saluted and turned to leave. "Oh, one last thing." Flight Major Osgyth's voice stopped her before she reached the door. "You are no longer in Wingleader Frythe's wing. Until the higher-ups decide on Lord Aidan's proposal, you report directly to me. If Wingsister Ecgwena causes you any trouble, let me know immediately. That is all."

Sunnild saluted again, then slipped out into the corridor.